Like all really good vices, Amanda Perna discovered fashion design in college.

The result was a career path that has led her to season nine of Project Runway, which debuts Thursday, July 28 at 9 p.m. on Lifetime.

“I was really into theatre and drama growing up,” said Perna in a phone interview. “I didn’t realize you could actually have a career as a fashion designer. But I knew that when I was in theatre I came alive when I was in costume.”

After spending one year at Florida Atlantic University as a Theatre major, Perna transferred to the University of Alabama where she quickly discovered the Department of Clothing and Textiles. Internships at Oscar de la Renta and Calvin Klein followed and she hasn’t looked back since.

“I think I graduated on a Saturday and started a job Monday. I’m an assistant designer for Calvin Klein dresses now.”

ZODIAC SIGN – Leo. And I’m a total Leo believe me. If you saw my crazy hair and the color you’d know.

FAVORITE FLORIDA HANGOUTS – The beaches of course. Oh and I love Delray. It’s one of my favorite places in the world. I love all the little shops and restaurants. And I love Las Olas. I just love Florida really. You can go to Disney in three hours. That’s amazing.

HOW FLORIDA SHOWS UP IN HER DESIGNS – I live color. I know it’s cheesy to say, but color is how I live my life. I remember when we moved into our apartment here [Battery Park City in NYC] all the walls were white. I started to freak out…especially being from South Florida. We love color. I started to get as many colors in there as I could.

FLORIDA FASHION EXPERIENCE – We went to a lot of smaller fashion shows all the time. My mom was always putting me in fashion shows at church. We went to St. Elizabeth Ann Seton and Mary Help of Christians Catholic Church. My mom has been working in retail her whole life, so I grew up going to those shows too.

BIGGEST MISCONCEPTION – I guess because I’m nice that sometimes people think I’m airheady. But I am definitely not. I mean I had a 3.8 grade point average. I won like a million academic awards. I read this blog and they said some really mean things about me. It was a strange experience reading about yourself from someone who doesn’t even know you, never even met you. I’m not doing that again.

FAMILY – My mom is now in visual merchandising for Bloomingdale’s. Dad has a telecommunications company. My brother is 21 and he could care less about fashion. He’s a really good athlete so he’s always been into sports.

BOYFRIEND – His name is Solomon Strul and he’s very creative. He’s an actor and a writer. Now he’s in the Bloomingdale’s management program. He’s been like one of my best friends since I was 12 years old. He didn’t know anything about fashion, but now with Bloomingdale’s he knows all the labels and fabrics. People ask me all the time, ‘what did you do to him?’ But it wasn’t me.